Hall of Fame forward and NBA analyst Charles Barkley says Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault made a critical mistake that nearly cost him the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. After sticking with his double-big lineup, featuring Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, throughout the Thunder's playoff run, coach Daigneault changed his starting lineup for Game 1 at the Paycom Center.
After blowing a 15-point lead in Game 1's 111-110 loss to the Pacers, Daigneault started Cason Wallace over Hartenstein, which could have cost the Thunder the best-of-7 series, according to Barkley, he said, per The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“When [Daigneault] did that this year, I was like, what the hell? Then, they end up losing Game 1. Then, they blew them out in Game 2, but it didn't matter because they got the split,” Barkley said. “Then, they won Game 3, and he finally went back to his lineup. Like, yo, man. You don't change up things when you got the best team. You've been the best team in the NBA all season. Don't do that again. You almost cost your team the championship.”
Daigneault switched back to his traditional lineups for Games 4 through 7, and for Barkley, it was the Thunder's depth that separated them from the rest of the league.
“At the All-Star Game, I started making predictions, I said nobody can beat this Oklahoma City team four times in a row,” Barkley added. “They're too good, man.”
Mark Daigneault on switching back to Thunder's starting lineup
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault rationalized his starting lineup decision, reinserting Isaiah Hartenstein over Cason Wallace, who started Games 1 through 3. After Game 4's 111-104 win against the Pacers, Daigneault revealed the reason behind the decision to revert to his traditional starting 5.
“That lineup has very distinct strengths, and you can draw on it at different times. It was a point to get Hartenstein more minutes tonight,” Daigneault said. “He’s been helpful in his minutes. But in terms of the lineup, we just go to every game and try to figure out the formula to win that game. That’s what we thought was best for a Game 4 win tonight.”
The Thunder would go on to win Game 5 and the title-clinching Game 7, 103-91, capturing its first championship in franchise history.
